Organised gangs of fly-tippers are dumping huge amounts of rubbish in Kent and Sussex, a special investigation by BBC South East Today has found.

Undercover filming caught gangs dumping trucks full of waste in the countryside despite the threat of £20,000 fines.

Kent County Council has said it is stepping up measures to stop the gangs such as employing enforcement officers and warning of prosecution.

Landfill tax rises and house building have been blamed for increased dumping.

'Risks involved'

Reporter Jon Hunt secretly filmed a gang dumping rubbish.

He said: "A flat bed truck heavily loaded with household waste and builders rubble drove half a mile up a dirt track and we chased on foot.

"Three men tipped the whole load but as we approached we were spotted.

Reporter Jon Hunt secretly filmed gangs dumping rubbish

"They pretended they were loading up rather than dumping but we saw the truck coming in with the full load - they then drove off."

Marsh Street in Dartford is one of the worst areas for fly-tipping.

Colin Newmarch, from Dartford Borough Council, said: "There is a place for all this rubbish to go - either a landfill site or in relation to the smaller amounts of stuff it could go to a local tip."

Half a million pounds is being spent by the county council on education, publicity and enforcement officers.

Paulina Stockell, from the council said: "I think we have to got to show them with the campaign that there are risks involved and there is going to be retribution and they will be fined heavily, prosecuted and we have got to make those real."